aespa’s Karina is facing controversy after her brand reputation ranking plummeted from 4th to 26th in June. The drop has been widely linked to a political controversy over a now-deleted Instagram post.
The controversy began when Karina posted a photo in May wearing a red and black windbreaker with the number “2” and a rose emoji. While it looked harmless, the timing raised eyebrows. The red rose is associated with the upcoming 2025 presidential election, known as the "Rose Election" since it takes place in spring. Many netizens speculated that this was a subtle political statement.
Despite her apology and SM Entertainment denying any political intent, the damage was done. One netizen noted, “She went from 4th to 26th. Her score literally got quartered. The political controversy seems to have hit hard.”
Korean netizens reacted strongly. They debated whether the controversy hurt Karina’s popularity. Here’s what they said:
“So does this mean Giselle is more popular than Karina now? Lol. Brand reputation rankings are just reference material. They don’t define your level.”
“If there was really damage from the controversy, her ad deals would’ve been pulled. But she’s still got plenty of major campaigns.”
“Karina is still a top-tier idol no matter what.”
“The moment politics gets involved, these communities turn into a mess. Stay strong, Karina… This is just online noise. In real life, you’re still number one.”
Despite the backlash, many fans remain loyal. The sentiment is clear: online rankings shouldn’t overshadow her achievements.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
